CELINA-WIth the qualifying deadline expiring last week, the ballot for the city election to be held here June 3 is now set.

Celina residents and property owners will vote in a three-person race for mayor and choose from eight candidates vying to fill three alderman seats, after a measure to up that number to five failed to be ratified (see related story).

Incumbent mayor Luke Collins will be challenged by former two-term mayor Willie Kerr and current vice-mayor and alderman Justin Rich.

Collins and Rich both took office in 2021, while Kerr served eight years as city mayor from 2009-2017.

With Rich entering the mayoral race and Brittany Kerr not running for re-election, Kenny Westmoreland is the only incumbent in the aldermen race.

He will be joined by current Clay County commissioner Timmy Boles, former city mayoral candidate Micheal Boles, prior aldermen candidate Dawn Dale, Kenneth Dale, Tracy Mills, Christopher Hayes, and Patty Spears.

Just over 400 mayoral votes were cast four years ago in the last city election, with 431 representing just over a 43% turnout of the 988 registered voters in 2021.

When he was elected, Collins garnered over half (55.45%) of the vote with a total of 239.  At the time, the current mayor beat Boles (131) and sitting mayor Tonya Spears (61) in a three-person race.

Rich was the leading vote-getter in the aldermen race four years ago and earned the vice-mayor title with 258 votes, while Westmoreland (210) and the late Winton Dillon (197) were also elected.

Dawn Dale (173) finished just 25 votes shy of earning an alderman seat in 2021 while running in the six-person race, which also included Ron Haston (125) and Jennings Hill (30).

Upon his death a little over a year ago, Kerr, who is Dillon’s daughter, was appointed to succeed her father and served the city up until her resignation last week (see related story).

Applications for

absentee ballots

have been mailed

Those eligible to vote in the upcoming city election include Celina residents and property owners, and local election administrator Monica Davis said last week non-residents who own property within the city have been mailed absentee ballot applications.

“If a property owner that does not live within the city has not received an application, we ask that they please contact the election office,” Davis said.

Property owners already registered to vote in the city election were not mailed applications and can vote either in-person or by requesting an absentee by-mail ballot.

Those not registered to vote have until Monday, May 5 to do so, and absentee ballots can be requested now through Friday, May 23.

Early voting for the city election will begin on Wednesday, May 14 and continue through Thursday, May 29.

For more information on the upcoming election, contact Davis at 931-243-2536.